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Summer Lane

Hi Lynn and viv
May I suggest to you both if you can get access in the library ,and look it up or purchase
A copy of a book called. Birmingham ......... The Sinister Side . by Steve Jones
A Wicked Publication. And a lot of pictures of old Aston and courts of summer lane are in it
And a lot of information contributed by Dave Cross from the museum
It a large book colour on red and lots of other courts and the History
Also of the beginning of Winston been prison full story from start to finish
Along with the convicted names and there sentences along with there names and abode
Best wishes Alan,, Astonian,,,,
 
Hi Astonian,
Thanks for your last post - it reminded me that I bought this book last year but haven't seen it for some time - it should be wedged between my boxing books and my Birmingham books and it isn't. I bought it around the same time as I bought Gangs of Birmingham as recommended by Carl Chinn in his Peaky book to give me more of an insight into real life in the 1800's.
 
Okay viv and lady p
It is a very interesting book to read at night and the info is terrific
And it makes you think was the older days of crime was more rife than today's crime
Its mainly all around d the summer lane end there was more murders than to days account
No wonder summer lane was always busy I recall there blue lamp out side
And I recall the blue Lamp pub as well
I read one story in the book where the man in the street sent his Wife to the local
And because she was gone to long he thought she was having an affair
With the gaffer and when she came back he accused her of it and raised the axed other head
And killed her ,it reminded me of one case I cannot name in the fifty and sixtys
Of the rose and crown in Hingestion street Hockley
It was my friends mother
But any way there is a lot of streets and Courts that we could get copies of for the forum I thought
As we have lost a lot of them as you know it gives the house number in the courts with the pictures
There's one that might interest Phil, Mosely road the Mad Axe man and his house and court
With the story belong to it
But what I could see the main causes of deaths in those days to bump off there wives
With out suspicion was by drowning they would take the wife's down the canal
And push them in and they would drown it seems life imprisonment was cheap
They only got nine months in term compared with today's sentence life
For man slaughter best wishes and thanks for replying Alan,, Astonian,,,,,
 
IMG_2489.JPG Hi all, I'm new to this and I'm rubbish at trying to get out what's in my head to words!!! But say you was standing at the cross of summer lane and Brearley street, looking at this pub...... turn your body to the left... what would of been on the other corner of the road???? It's now a tool hire shop.. which we have now taken over!
 
Depends when you mean. the 1970s map shows an electrical sub station
 

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Looks approximately the same, but does not have substation marked, so not clear what was there.
 

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In the 50s I had a paper round starting from that corner and all I can remember was it being fenced off, so I assume it was bomb damage from the war. Dave
 
thanks dave...i think that corner was most likely the old houses..an earlier map would confirm this or not as the case maybe..actually im sure i had an old photo of that corner will try and find it..could be on this thread or the brearley st thread

lyn
 
The 1937 map does show houses/shops there. It would appear that this would have been 81 summer Lane, and this is shown in the 1939 Kellys as Joseph Pierce, wholesale newsagent
 

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Bancroft Motor Factors used to occupy that site on the opposite corner to the Stag in the 80s-90s afraid I don't know when they left

Dave
 
Sorry to have to correct you Vivienne14 but the photo you posted in post #583 does not show the 1899 Settlement building. It shows the row of 5 Georgian houses called Colmore Terrace which were built sometime between 1792 and 1815. The houses were set back from the road with a garden in front of them. My great grandmother was living in one of them at the time of the 1881 census. In 1899 The Settlement were using two of the 5 houses as their base.


Incidentally “Poverty and Opportunity: 100 Years of the Birmingham Settlement” by Jon Glasby is a great read, but you seem to have some better photos on the Forum than the ones in the book, for which I thank you!

Amanda
 
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Amanda Skipp said:
Sorry to have to correct you Vivienne14 but the photo you posted in post #583 does not show the 1899 Settlement building. It shows the row of 5 Georgian houses called Colmore Terrace which were built sometime between 1792 and 1815. The houses were set back from the road with a garden in front of them. My great grandmother was living in one of them at the time of the 1881 census. In 1899 The Settlement were using two of the 5 houses as their base.


Incidentally “Poverty and Opportunity: 100 Years of the Birmingham Settlement” by Jon Glasby is a great read, but you seem to have some better photos on the Forum than the ones in the book, for which I thank you!

Amanda
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hello amanda i am a little confused...the pic viv posted on post 583 is definately the settlement corner of summer lane/tower st..below is vivs photo and another one to compere..below those is a map showing where colmore terrace was which was at gt hampton row near to the corner with new john st west..i could of course be wrong but for the sake of history i am happy to be corrected..i do have a photo of colmore terrace

all the best

lyn

settlement.j summer lane.jpg settlement.jpg
 

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I agree Lyn the house doesn't seem to match up with the Colmore Terrace position (or the footprint) on your map. Looking more closely at the photos of the row of houses and the chimney arrangement I'd say the building was probably originally composed of either 3 or 6 dwellings, not 5. They'd have been large dwellings too, collectively made to look like one much grander house. The top floor level would have been servants quarters (smaller windows). And I think the building is later than 1790s, although not 100% sure about that. Viv.
 
map c 1889 showing corner of tower st and Summer lane.jpg Actually, in a way, you are both right and both wrong. I have no doubt that that is the site of the settlement in the picture with the charabancs, but it is also Colmore Terrace. The original name for that row of houses was Colmore Terrace, as shown on the map c1889 below.
 
  • As the recovery continues, just completed another fascinating thread and one which brought back memories as for many years I travelled daily 5a/7 up and down Summer Lane to get to Cannings, sometimes I walked up from the bottom of Constitution Hill but if it was reigning, had to be a bus. However is the memory failing me or was there a factory with the name Crocodile Works. If I have gone doolally don't tell me, but I am sure there was something on the left hand side when going up to Six Ways. Cheers all now for a fresh thread
  • Bob
 
well viv it looks like there were 2 colmore terraces so thank you amanda for bringing it to our attention.. there was the one which later became the settlement and the other one showing on my map post 616 which was on gt hampton row.. quite sure you have the correct colmore terrace for your gt gran amanda but as both would have been there on the 1881 census it could confuse which colmore terrace rellies lived at so worth double checking...thanks for the info and maps mike..

hi bob...yes there was indeed a crocodile works...it was in porchester st/alma st...was demolished a few years back now to make way for apartments but the facade with the name crocodile works has been kept in situ on the alma st side the croc works was owned by ralph martindale who made machetes...

lyn
 
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This is what the Crocadile works used to look like before its demolition https://www.flickr.com/photos/dofar...VAS-ePdWLQ-eP2huM-ePdHYC-ePdWdN-eP2qpH-eP2mE8


Onceabrummie said:
  • As the recovery continues, just completed another fascinating thread and one which brought back memories as for many years I travelled daily 5a/7 up and down Summer Lane to get to Cannings, sometimes I walked up from the bottom of Constitution Hill but if it was reigning, had to be a bus. However is the memory failing me or was there a factory with the name Crocodile Works. If I have gone doolally don't tell me, but I am sure there was something on the left hand side when going up to Six Ways. Cheers all now for a fresh thread
  • Bob
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adap2it said:
....and next door was Pearsons (on Porchester St)

Dave A
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dave they retained a building next to the croc works..was that pearsons...if you do a google street walk you will see the building i am talking about

lyn
 
Astonian, only just caught up with your July post and I too was amazed at the lightness of the sentence some men got for murdering their wives. Thinking about it, there are one or two men I would've pushed in the canal if I'd been married to them. Worth it for 9 months imprisonment!
 
Astoness said:
dave they retained a building next to the croc works..was that pearsons...if you do a google street walk you will see the building i am talking about

lyn
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Yes, that is Pearsons. Not all of it course but it is nice to see that is been demolished. I few years ago I sent you a picture of me and a fellow Paddington St friend, sitting on Pearsons loading dock.

Dave A
 
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